It is the government’s duty to make life easier for its citizens aged 60 and above. As one of their benefits, senior citizens can avail of P500 pension per month, pursuant to the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Social Pension Program.
Those qualified to avail of the pension are senior citizens who are frail, sickly, or have disabilities; are not recipients of the Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), or Veterans Pension; and do not have a permanent source of income or regular support from relatives.
To avail of the pension, one must submit the following requirements at the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) or at the Office of the Senior Citizen Affairs (OSCA):
- Senior citizen identification card;
- Certificate of indigency (barangay certificate of residency, assessment report from the CSWDO field offices)
In order to get a senior citizen ID, one must provide a birth certificate, a 1×1 ID picture, and any valid ID.
Upon submission of requirements, social workers will evaluate the applicant, after which they will be recommended to the DSWD regional office for final validation. Upon qualification, applicants will be placed in the pensioner’s waitlist.
Applicants receive the pension every quarter through cash payment in the DSWD field offices or through city or municipal social welfare and development officers.
DSWD will also be giving P6,000 worth of benefits to senior citizens for this year, which includes a 20% discount on medical expenses; domestic transportation; hotels, restaurants, and places of leisure; recreation centers; admission fees; and funeral and burial services.
Other privileges include income tax exemption, training fees exemption, free medical and dental services from government facilities, free vaccinations for indigent senior citizens, educational privileges, benefits and privileges for retirees, etc.
Lilibeth arevalo
How to avail of my mother im ofw qatar as DH